Agisoft PhotoScan is an advanced image-based 3D modeling solution aimed for creating professional quality 3D content from still images. Based on the latest multi-view 3D reconstruction technology, it operates with arbitrary images and is efficient in both controlled and uncontrolled conditions. Photos can be taken from any positions, providing that an object to be reconstructed is visible on at least two photos. Both image alignment and 3D model reconstruction are fully automated.

1. First stage is the photographs alignment. At this stage PhotoScan searches for common points on photographs and matches them, as well as it finds position of the camera for each picture and refines the camera calibration parameters. As a result the sparse point cloud and the set of camera positions are formed.

The point cloud represents the results of photos alignment and will not be directly used in the further 3D model construction procedure (except the point cloud based reconstruction method). However it can be exported for further usage by external tools. For instance the point cloud model can be used in the 3D editor as a reference.

On the contrary the set of camera positions will be required for further 3D model construction by PhotoScan.

2. Next stage is building the geometry. Based on the estimated camera positions and pictures themselves, PhotoScan builds the 3D polygon mesh, representing the object surface. The four algorithmic methods available in PhotoScan can be applied for 3D mesh generation: Arbitrary - Smooth, Arbitrary - Sharp, Height field - Smooth and Height field - Sharp methods. Additionally there is a Point Cloud based method for fast geometry generation based on the sparse point cloud alone.

After building the mesh it may be necessary to edit it. Some corrections, such as mesh decimation, removal of detached components, closing of holes in the mesh and so on can be performed by PhotoScan. For more complex editing you have to engage external 3D editor tools. PhotoScan allows you to export the mesh, edit it through other software and import it back.

3. After the geometry (i.e. the mesh) is generated, it may be textured and/or used for orthophoto generation. Several different texturing modes are available in PhotoScan.

Standard edition

For 3D designers and for 3D content authoring for presentation purposes.